How to Insulate Prefabricated Houses

Insulating prefabricated houses requires focusing on key areas such as exterior walls, roofs, and doors and windows, selecting appropriate solutions based on different structural types to form a systematic thermal insulation system.

I. General Insulation Measures

1. Exterior Wall Insulation
   Exterior walls are the main channels for heat loss and require materials and techniques to block heat transfer.

• Hanging-type exterior wall insulation: Attach insulation materials such as polyurethane, extruded polystyrene boards, or expanded polystyrene boards to the outer side of prefabricated exterior wall panels to form a continuous thermal insulation layer. These materials have low thermal conductivity and can reduce wall heat loss by approximately 30%-50%.
• Insulation board plastering exterior wall insulation: After fixing the insulation boards to the wall, cover them with cement mortar or specialized plastering compounds to protect the insulation layer and enhance fire resistance.

2. Roof Insulation
   Roofs need to balance insulation, waterproofing, and ventilation to prevent cold air infiltration or moisture accumulation.

• Roof insulation boards: Lay EPS, XPS, or rock wool boards below the roof with a thermal conductivity of ≤0.035W/(m·K) to effectively block heat transfer.
• Drainage and ventilation design: Set drainage paths with a slope of ≥2% and reserve ventilation gaps between the insulation layer and the roof panel to prevent a decrease in insulation performance due to condensation.

3. Door and Window Optimization
   Doors and windows are weak points and require materials and sealing techniques to reduce heat exchange.

• High-efficiency thermal insulation glass: Use double- or triple-glazed windows filled with inert gases such as argon to reduce the heat transfer coefficient to 1.5-2.0W/(m²·K).
• Sealing treatment: Fill gaps between doors, windows, and walls with silicone sealants or ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber strips to reduce air infiltration by more than 80%.

II. Adaptation Solutions for Different Types of Prefabricated Houses

1. Prefabricated Concrete Panel Houses
   Roofs commonly use EPS/XPS insulation boards or rock wool boards with a thickness of 50-100mm, combined with waterproof membranes to form a composite layer, reducing roof heat loss by 40%-60%.

2. Steel-Frame Insulated Houses
   The main structure uses square steel frames, and walls are filled with polyurethane sandwich panels over 50mm thick (thermal conductivity ≤0.024W/(m·K)), capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -30℃, suitable for cold regions.

3. Modular Assembly Panel Houses
   Standardized steel chassis paired with fire-resistant rock wool interlayers (density ≥100kg/m³) achieve a thermal resistance value of 2.5m²·K/W at -25℃, suitable for temporary or long-term residence.

4. Rural Light Steel Villas
   Walls adopt a composite structure of "light steel studs + rock wool boards + gypsum boards," and roofs are laid with glass wool boards or aerogel composite fire-resistant blankets, combined with high-performance sealing strips, achieving an overall heat transfer coefficient of ≤0.5W/(m²·K), with better insulation performance than traditional brick-and-mortar structures.

Through the coordinated optimization of material selection, structural design, and construction techniques, prefabricated houses can achieve efficient insulation, significantly reduce energy consumption, and enhance living comfort.